Nettle's Path
by Raintail of Riverclan
Summary: A story about a cat named Nettlepaw. Watch her live, love, and uncover a secret she never would have imagined. Warning: SPOILERS for first Warriors series.
1. Prologue

**Allegiances**

_**EarthClan**_

_**Leader:** Emeraldstar- gold tabby tom with green eyes; apprentice: Vinepaw_

_**Deputy:** Dragonclaw- silver and black tom; apprentice: Spikepaw_

_**Medicine Cat: **Poolripple- gray she-cat with blue eyes; apprentice: Redpaw_

_**Warriors:** Appleleaf- brown tabby tom_

_Batstorm- gray tom with black flecks around his eyes and long ears_

_Dappleberry- tortoiseshell with green eyes; apprentice: Dreampaw_

_Finchflower- gold she-cat with a white tail_

_Grayfang- gray tom with a white tail_

_Gingerclaw- ginger tabby tom with blue eyes_

_Jack- longhair black tom, formerly a kittypet_

_Kiss- longhair black and white she-cat, Jack's sister, also formerly a kittypet_

_Mushroomfoot- orange-pelted she-cat; apprentice: Nettlepaw_

_Smalltwig- dark gray she-cat_

_**Apprentices:** Dreampaw- long-haired white tom_

_Nettlepaw- gold she-cat with one black forepaw_

_Spikepaw- long-haired black tom with spiky fur_

_Redpaw- white tom with ginger forepaws and tail_

_Vinepaw- dark gray tabby she-cat_

_**Queens: **Mistywave-long-haired gray she-cat; mother of Thunderkit (ginger tabby tom), Rockkit (brown tom with unruly fur), and Greenkit (gray tabby she-cat with green eyes) _

_Ottersong- brown she-cat, expecting Appleleaf's kits_

_**Elders: **Birchtooth- brown and tan tom_

_Longear- large gray she-cat with long ears_

_Specklering- dark gray tom with dark gray flecks around his eyes_

_**DuskClan**_

_**Leader: **Silverstar- white tom with silver paws_

_**Deputy:** Lightspark- white she-cat with orange ears and tail_

_**Medicine Cat:** Goldenlight- gold she-cat with piercing gray eyes_

_**Warriors:** Beewing- gold tabby tom_

_Crushfoot- large longhaired black tom_

_Danceflight- gray and black she-cat; apprentice: Bladepaw(gray tabby tom)_

_Flowerfur-she-cat with an orange pelt_

_Foxtail- long-haired orange tom with white-tipped tail_

_Mossfur- gray tom; apprentice: Demonpaw(black she-cat with unusual red eyes)_

_Purplestorm- gray tabby she-cat; apprentice: Rainpaw(gray and white she-cat)_

_Quiltpelt- tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes_

_Reaperclaw- black tom with huge claws_

_Eaglefeather- gold-flecked brown she-cat_

_Slantear- dark gray she-cat with tilted ears_

_**Queens:** Turtlefur- tortoiseshell she-cat; mother of Windkit (dark gray tom), Shadowkit (black tom), Horsekit (tortoiseshell she-cat), Whitekit (longhaired white she-cat), and Ashkit (light gray she-cat with black paws)_

_**Elders: **Larksong- golden she-cat with dark amber, almost brown eyes_

_Tansystem- she-cat with a black pelt and green eyes_

_**DawnClan**_

_**Leader: **Barkstar- brown tabby she-cat_

_**Deputy: **Silkthread- silver and white she-cat; apprentice: Wingpaw(long-haired silver tom with fluffy tail)_

_**Medicine Cat:** Brownshell- brown tom with amber eyes; apprentice: Oakbranch(tan tom with brown forepaws)_

_**Warriors: **Acornwing- brown tom with dark brown paws_

_Butterfur-gold tom with brown-tipped tail; apprentice: Mudpaw(brown tabby tom with one black ear)_

_Creamear- apricot she-cat with white paws_

_Falconwing- black and brown tom with green eyes_

_Hawkfeather- gold tom; apprentice: Streampaw(silver tabby she-cat)_

_Greenstem- light and dark gray she-cat with green eyes_

_Ghosttail- black she-cat with white tail-tip_

_Hollystorm-silver tabby she-cat_

_Ironclaw- gray and black tom_

_Mousefire- scarred orange tom_

_Northstorm- whitish-gray tom_

_**Queens:** Flickertail- black she-cat with an orange tail-tip; mother of Peachkit (tan she-cat), Plumkit (dark gray tom), and Pearkit (brown and black she-cat)_

_Zebrastripe- white tabby she-cat with amber eyes; mother of Goldkit (gold tom) and Yewkit (brown tom with dark brown paws)_

_**Elders:** Fruitfall- tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes_

_Sunnypelt- she-cat with bright orange fur_

_**MoonClan**_

_**Leader: **Bearstar- large black tom with brown muzzle_

_**Deputy:** Lionfang- long-furred gold tom (filling in for Berrystorm)_

_**Medicine Cat:** Leopardblossom- unusually spotted gold tabby she-cat with blue eyes; apprentice: Skyswirl(white she-cat with silver streaks)_

_**Warriors: **Belltune- silver she-cat with one white forepaw_

_Cheetahclaw- unusually spotted gold tom with amber eyes_

_Coalthorn- black she-cat with gold eyes_

_Dunefur- sandy-colored tomcat with blue eyes; apprentice: Tanpaw (tan tom with brown ears)_

_Gemeyes- long-haired silver she-cat with sparkling green eyes_

_Hareflight- black she-cat; apprentice: Elmpaw (gray tom)_

_Lilycloud- white she-cat; apprentice: Stripepaw (silver tabby tom with dark gray forepaws)_

_Linepelt- gray tabby tom; apprentice: Winterpaw (white-gray she-cat)_

_Monsterfang- dark gray tom with yellow eyes_

_Silvermoon- light gray she-cat with black paws_

_**Queens:** Berrystorm- tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes; mother of Firekit (orange she-cat), Beachkit (tortoiseshell she-cat), and Fogkit (light gray tom) _

_Nutpelt- gray she-cat; mother of Rabbitkit (white she-cat) and Sandkit (tan tom flecked with gray)_

_**Elders:** Lightningwhisker- dark gray she-cat_

_Peppertail- gray tom with black tail_

_**SunClan**_

_**Leader: **Thrushstar- Light brown tom_

_**Deputy:** Moleclaw- Black tom with brown tail-tip; apprentice: Brownpaw (brown tom)_

_**Medicine Cat:** Autumnleaf- orange she-cat with amber eyes; apprentice: Frogspiral (brown tom with black splotches)_

_**Warriors:** Calfpelt- light brown she-cat with white splotches_

_Echovoice- longhaired black she-cat _

_Frizzpelt- Fuzzy brown tom; apprentice: Featherpaw (white and gray she-cat)_

_Fluffytail- longhaired brown tom_

_Horsefur- black and silver tom; apprentice: Seedpaw (brown tabby tom)_

_Rainfall- blue-gray she-cat with blue eyes; apprentice: Emberpaw (orange tom with gray paws)_

_Stormfang- gray tabby tom with amber eyes_

_Torrentclaw- brown and tan tom with blue eyes_

_Volepelt- she-cat with light brown fur and one darker forepaw_

_**Queens: **Blossompetal- brown and tan she-cat with green eyes; mother of Nutkit (dark brown tom) and Seakit (blue-gray she-cat with blue eyes)_

_**Elders:** Bramblecloud- tan tabby she-cat_

_Snakefang- black tom with white markings _

* * *

><p><strong>Prologue <strong>

**I happened to have pretended to bake some imaginary apple pies for reviewers, so R-E-V-I-E-W!**

A golden she-cat and a silver tom were running for their lives. The furious yowls of many cats rang out behind them.

"Knew-pant-we shouldn't-pant-have met-pant-so close-pant-to the DuskClan border," mewed the she-cat breathlessly.

"You're right," agreed the tom "Up here!" They scrambled into a tall tree, settling on the highest limb that would hold their weight. "We're safe for now," the silver tom mewed.

"Where are those fox-hearted mange-pelts?" growled a young male voice, barely six moons old. The she-cat's heart quickened. She knew that voice. Then, it all went wrong.

A large cat slammed into the young tom.

"Leapingmoon! What are you doing! Blackpaw is a loyal DuskClan apprentice! _My_ apprentice, and besides, what's an EarthClan cat doing here!" a she-cat fumed at Leapingmoon.

"What I'm doing, Amberstorm," Leapingmoon replied silkily, "is capturing the _traitor _that I spotted with the other two near the border."

That was a downright lie.

_Blackpaw isn't guilty of anything_, thought the she-cat, _well, not guilty of anything except being Silverclaw's and my-my… _her thoughts trailed off. Without even thinking about it, not even considering the consequences, she leapt from the tree.

She landed neatly in front of Leapingmoon. A huge gray tom, he was a terrifying sight. But in her rage, she forgot about fear. She growled at him. And it wasn't a little growl. It was almost a roar.

"Let go of Blackpaw," she snarled, looking at the small black apprentice pinned down by the huge tom.

"I don't need a traitor from EarthClan to fight my battles!" snarled Blackpaw back.

Silverclaw, the silver tom, jumped to the earth as well.

"You had better let him go, Leapingmoon," mewed Silverclaw.

"Why should I?" Leapingmoon shot back.

"There are two of us, and only one of you." Silvercaw was right. Amberstorm had left, probably to go get help.

"You two snake-hearts had better watch out," Leapingmoon snarled "because I'll always be hiding in the brambles and watching from the trees. And that goes for _him_, too." He jerked his tail at Blackpaw, and then ran off.

Then, it all went really wrong.

"There they are!" mewed Amberstorm, leading three patrols into the clearing. At the front of one were Dawnstar and her deputy, Horsetail. At another were Duskstar and his deputy, too. And at the third was…

"Father! Sister!" The she-cat meowed in surprise. Well, not really surprise at her father. As Earthstar, leader of EarthClan, he would of course be in this patrol. But her sister's presence was unexpected. After all, she was a medicine cat.

"Attack them!" screeched a voice from DuskClan. A chant rose up from the cats.

"Attack them! Attack them!"

Her sister, Goldenstripe, stepped forward.

"Please, Honeyheart, come with us. These other cats, they'll drive you out, maybe even kill you!"

"Then I'll die fighting with my mate," Honeyheart snarled.

"All in favor of death," Dawnstar called. Almost three dozen mews rang out.

"Please, don't do this," Goldenstripe mewed.

The patrols stepped forward as one.

"Stop, please," pleaded Goldenstripe

The warriors continued to close in. Goldenstripe tried to get in front of Honeyheart, but Earthstar held her back. His eyes were hard but sad. He watched with melancholy as the patrols closed in on his daughter and prepared to attack.

"Stop! We'll go." It was Silverclaw. His eyes were filled with fear, but not for himself. For what could happen to his mate.

"Wait just a minute."

Heads turned. It was him. It was Leapingmoon.

"This little _traitor_ here was at the border with the other two," Leapingmoon pointed with his tail at Blackpaw, who was bristling. "He should be exiled."

"I would never meet those two fox-hearts anywhere," snarled Blackpaw

"Leaders, whose word would you trust? That of a senior warrior or that of a cat barely apprenticed?"

Murmurs of agreement swept through the cats.

"Blackpaw shall also be exiled," declared Duskstar, Blackpaw's leader. Blackpaw's mouth gaped.

"B-but I-I –I didn't do anything." Blackpaw said, shocked.

Silverclaw's eyes were full of sadness and experience. "I'm afraid, in the eyes of the Clan cats, you are guilty. We must leave now."

Honeyheart looked to the night sky, deep into Silverpelt._ StarClan, How could you let this happen to us!_, she wailed silently. She gazed around the clearing, how all the Clan cats' bristling pelts were bathed in the glow of StarClan. Her own fur, as well as Silverclaw and Blackpaw's pelts were coated in the blackness of the dark. _If you will abandon me, then I shall leave you, too!_

Please, Honeyheart don't go," begged Goldenstripe.

"When you decided to exile me," Honeyheart mewed with a gaze hard as steel and cold as ice, "you not only took away my home, but also my very identity. Honeyheart of EarthClan is gone forever. In her place is me. In her place is Shadeheart, warrior of ShadeClan!" The three turned, and then ran.

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Also, remember, imaginary apple pies for reviewers! ; )**


	2. Chapter 1

**Thank you for that wonderful review, Danica Bennett. You just completely made my day! I would love it if you continued to read _Nettle's Path_. Also, look forward to an imaginary pumpkin pie from me! ; )**

Nettlepaw woke up in the EarthClan apprentice den with her heart pounding, her nest in tatters, and moss scraps all over the longhaired white tom next to her. She stared at him, and then purred. She couldn't help it.

_Dreampaw is a really heavy sleeper_, she thought to herself. Even though they had been denmates since they were kits, Nettlepaw had never gotten used to how heavily and easily Dreampaw slept, or how he woke up at the drop of a whisker sometimes, but stayed snoozing when cats yowled and screeched. _There are pretty much only two cats that can wake up a sleeping Dreampaw_, thought Nettlepaw._ His mother, Finchflower, and his mentor,_-a mew cut off her thoughts. Dreampaw had woken up.

"Dappleberry," he meowed, just as his tortoiseshell mentor poked her head through the den's entrance.

"Dreampaw, you have dawn patrol, remember?" mewed Dappleberry.

"Aw, come on," Dreampaw complained, but he followed her out into the camp.

Nettlepaw had just gathered up the remnants of her nest when Mushroomfoot, her orange-pelted mentor, called her outside.

Nettlepaw blinked in the bright light. The apprentice den, a ring of three shady bushes, was always dark. The camp itself was a sandy clearing surrounded by a thorn barrier. The leader's den was a mound of earth with curved branches acting as beams, keeping the den from collapsing when the leader spoke to the clan on its crest. Nettlepaw looked at the two places she spent most of her time at, other than the apprentice den, of course: the Nursery and the elders' den. The Nursery was a shrub with a bramble barrier around its base, but the space in between was large enough for several cats to lie down comfortably with room to spare. The elders' den was pretty much the same, except instead of a bramble wall, there were some branches that had fallen down and gotten partially covered with sand and completely overgrown with vines, giving it the appearance of a teepee made of tangled plants. The warriors' den was a leafy bush.

"Nettlepaw," Mushroomfoot called, snapping her out of her thoughts, "hunting patrol!"

"Where are we hunting?" Nettlepaw asked, padding over to her mentor.

"Over in the northeast woods."

"Then what are we waiting for!"

Nettlepaw heard her mentor's amused purr as she raced through the underground passage that was the camp exit.

* * *

><p>Nettlepaw breathed in the many scents of the forest, savoring the breeze ruffling her gold fur. The forest was her favorite place. It let her leave her worries behind. The trees, which had just started to lose their leaves for leaf-fall, cast shadows on the ground. Robins chirped. Nettlepaw's strange dream vanished from her mind. She tasted the air. Nothing. She tried again. A delicious scent wafted into her nose. <em>Mouse!<em> Nettlepaw thought. _There! _A plump, furry, brown rodent was nibbling a seed. Nettlepaw crouched down low, keeping her tail still. She approached, completely silent. If she so much as stepped on a puny twig, the mouse would be alerted. For some reason, hunting always felt like life-or-death to Nettlepaw. No matter how many times Nettlepaw reassured herself that her clanmates would take care of her, she always felt like every lost mouse put her life on the line. Just as she was lunging in for the kill, she slipped on a leaf, scared away the mouse, and slammed into a silver tom.

Her heart plummeted. She glared at the knothole where the mouse had vanished.

"Fox-dung," muttered Nettlepaw "sorry 'bout that."

A fishy scent hit her nostrils. She looked up. It was a DawnClan apprentice.

"My name is Wingpaw," he mewed urgently, his fluffy tail swishing nervously, "and my Clan needs your help"

** Do you, faithful readers, think this was a good chapter? Remember, good things come to those who review (by good things, I mean imaginary cupcakes) : ) **


	3. Chapter 2

** Sorry about that last chapter, it was really short. This one will be at least a little longer. Thank you, WildpeltofThunderClan, for reviewing you will receive an imaginary pumpkin pie! Other readers, please follow his example and R&R! : )**

Nettlepaw led Wingpaw through EarthClan's territory. She tried not focus on him, his sparkling blue eyes, his sleek silver pelt. She found herself gazing into his handsome face, again and again. _Stop it_, Nettlepaw scolded herself. _He's an enemy warrior, an apprentice from a rival Clan, he's a- _her thoughts were cut off by a wall of thorns. They had arrived at camp.

* * *

><p>Cats gaped at the bushy-tailed DawnClan apprentice as he emerged from the underground passage. Nettlepaw detected an odd scent mingled with EarthClan's familiar aroma. It smelled like… mud. DuskClan. Sure enough, a black-furred apprentice was sitting next to her sister, Vinepaw. When the black she-cat turned, Nettlepaw gasped; her eyes were ruby red.<p>

"Vinepaw! What is a DuskClan cat doing here?" hissed Nettlepaw.

Vinepaw had just opened her mouth to answer when Emeraldstar emerged from the camp entrance with two voles in his jaws.

His eyes narrowed at the two enemy apprentices.

"What is this?" he demanded, setting down the voles. He looked at Vinepaw and sighed. "And why did you just run off chasing a feather? I notice you brought back no prey."

Vinepaw dipped her head in embarrassment.

_Hey! I didn't bring back any prey, either! _Nettlepaw thought indignantly. _Why's he picking on her?_

"Um, Emeraldstar? Uh, this DuskClan apprentice, Demonpaw, says her Clan is in trouble, and well, uh-"

She was cut off by Demonpaw's impatient mew.

"I didn't want to leave the battlefield, okay? It's just that a bunch of rouges are raiding the camp, and Mossfur told me to get help. So here I am. My Clan needs backup"

Emeraldstar still looked uncertain.

"That's why I came, too!" Wingpaw blurted out. "DawnClan is being attacked by rouges!"

Dragonclaw, a silver and black tom who was clan deputy, gave them a quizzical look.

"If you're having so much trouble with the rouges, why don't you just band together and stop them?"

Wingpaw looked at him as if he was crazy.

Demonpaw wasn't nearly as polite.

"You lizard-brain! We would never be given help from DawnClan," she hissed. "Or give it to them." There was a feud between DawnClan and DuskClan that had started seasons and seasons ago; it was probably as old as the one between MoonClan and SunClan.

Nettlepaw mouthed, _Lizard-what? _to Vinepaw.

_Mouse-brain, _she mouthed back.

_Oh._

Emeraldstar thought for a moment.

"Mushroomfoot!" he mewed suddenly.

"Yes, Emeraldstar?"

"You will take Smalltwig, Dappleberry, Kiss, Dreampaw, and Nettlepaw to DawnClan. Dragonclaw?"

"Yes?"

"I need you to take Jack, Appleleaf, Finchflower, Vinepaw, and Spikepaw to Duskclan. I will remain at camp."

Nettlepaw nodded. It made sense that Emeraldstar would stay behind, even though it was his apprentice, Vinepaw's, first real battle. Although he still had at least four of his nine lives left, he was EarthClan's leader, and he didn't need to put himself at risk for the sake of a rival Clan.

However, one protesting voice mewed, "But that's leaving us virtually undefended!"

Heads turned, and Nettlepaw was not surprised to see that the speaker was Spikepaw.

Spikepaw was a longhaired black tom. No matter what mood he was in, his fur bristled like crazy. It was hard to believe that Dreampaw, the mischievous, handsome, fun-loving white tom who had been Nettlepaw's best friend since the day she opened her eyes for the first time and saw his smiling face, was the brother of this arrogant, grumpy, contradictory black tom. But it was true. Spikepaw and Dreampaw also happened to brothers with Redpaw, the reddish-orange, somber medicine cat apprentice, whom Nettlepaw had once had a crush on, before he had become a medicine cat and made her eat yucky herbs.

"We'll be attacked!" Spikepaw mewed.

"Well," meowed Dragonclaw, his mentor, calmly, "if you think we're going to be attacked while we're helping DawnClan and DuskClan, then maybe you should stay here instead of going to DuskClan."

Spikepaw looked uncomfortable. "Well, if you put it that way…"

"Come on," mewed Mushroomfoot, padding towards the camp exit with three other warriors, Dreampaw, and Wingpaw, "they need us at DawnClan."

**Pokémon, Raichu's brother!**

**Pokémon, Pikachu's mother!**

**Pokémon, Pichu's grandmother!**

**(I am very random sometimes)**

**Cliff-hangers! Go reviewers!**

**(Told you)**

**; )**


	4. Chapter 3

Wingpaw was completely out of his element in the forest. It seemed like he had stepped on every thorn and snapped every twig when they finally reached the DawnClan border. Wingpaw almost immediately became more confident at the river. He slipped into the water nearly noiselessly and quickly swam to the other bank. For the EarthClan cats, however, it was not so easy. They carefully stepped from one stepping stone in the water to another, while an impatient Wingpaw waited quietly for them. When they were all on the DawnClan shore, Wingpaw led them further into his territory.

"Come on," he would mew every five minutes. "My Clan is in danger, hurry up!"

They went as fast as they could, but the constant streams made it hard.

Finally, they stopped at a piece of land surrounded by streams on all three sides, an island. And it was in chaos.

The DawnClan camp was concealed by bushes and a reed wall, but Nettlepaw could hear the yowls of outrage and pain ring out.

"In here." Wingpaw was standing in front of a narrow strip of land connecting the island to the mainland. Nettlepaw saw Dreampaw's bushy white tail disappear into the entrance of the reed wall. Nettlepaw didn't want to look scared, so she went in second with her tail held high. But on the inside, fear and anticipation boiled and churned. And rightly so, for what awaited her was indeed frightening.

Cats hissed and screeched. The battlefield scene intensified Nettlepaw's fear. She pressed closer to Smalltwig, her mother.

"It's okay, little one," mewed Smalltwig gently, "Although the battle may be fierce, your friends and family will fight even more fiercely to protect you. There is nothing to fear; we are warriors, they are rouges; we have friends and family to fight for and depend on, they have only themselves. We will win!"

Her mother's words filling her with confidence, Nettlepaw realized how lucky she was to have her best friend and her mother with her. Poor Vinepaw was stuck with going through a mucky territory without even her mentor to comfort her.

A fearsome yowl snapped Nettlepaw out of her thoughts.

"For ShadeClan!" A black she-cat was flying towards her.

Nettlepaw just had time to think, _What in the name of StarClan is ShadeClan? _before the she-cat was on top of her.

"Such a pity to end a young life," the she-cat mewed, baring her razor-sharp fangs. "Goodbye." She lunged for Nettlepaw's throat.

Nettlepaw closed her eyes, preparing to die.

"No!" A white shape streaked through the air, knocking the black she-cat off of Nettlepaw. Dreampaw had saved her life. He clawed the she-cat cat on her back. Blood welled up in the scratches. She yowled and ran out of the camp. "Coward!" Dreampaw yowled at the fleeing cat.

"Thanks," Nettlepaw mewed.

"It was nothing," Dreampaw mewed breathlessly. "Like Smalltwig said, we all look out for each other."

Nettlepaw spotted a gray tom running towards the elders' den. She rocketed after him, but turns out, she didn't need to. A silver tabby apprentice dropped from a bush nearby, landing on top of the tom and knocking him to the ground.

A screech, shrill and loud, pierced the battle. An orange-muzzled tom had pinned down a struggling white tabby queen. Another queen, this one black with an orange tail, was also pinned down by a rouge. While the nursery was undefended, a brown she-cat, about the age of an apprentice, pulled out two mewling kits, and started to take out more.

"Acornwing, help! They're taking my kits!" the white tabby yowled.

A brown tom with darker paws rushed over, fast as lightning, knocking the scrawny brown she-cat to the ground.

"Get away from my kits," the tom hissed in her ear.

She looked up with fear in her eyes, and then raced off.

"Nettlepaw…"

She turned towards the barely audible sound, and saw Dreampaw being mauled by two rouges. They were clawing and biting him mercilessly. He was trying to fight back, but he was fading. She could almost see the life draining from his eyes. She screeched a fearsome battle-cry, and leapt to defend her friend.

She clawed, rolled, dodged, and bit, not caring about the wounds inflicted on her. The only thing that mattered to her was when the two cats raced out of the camp.

Dreampaw's eyelids fluttered weakly.

"Nettlepaw?" he croaked.

"I'm here"

"Medicine cat… hurry."

Netllepaw ran to the place she hoped was the medicine cat's den: a shady hollow in the trunk of a fallen tree that smelled of herbs. _Thank StarClan, _Nettlepaw thought. There was a cat inside who she'd seen picking herbs at the border once: a brown tom named Brownshell.

"Hurry… my friend… no time to explain," Nettlepaw mewed hurriedly.

Brownshell nodded and grabbed a bundle of herbs. Nettlepaw raced to Dreampaw's side. Brownshell got to work.

Nettlepaw left her friend in Brownshell's care. Almost immediately, she was pounced on by a gray and white tom. She hissed, clawing at his underbelly with her back claws. He let go, and Nettlepaw barreled into him, throwing him off balance. She gave him a vicious bite to his left flank for good measure,and then let him scamper off.

Out of the corner of her eye, Nettlepaw saw that four cats were attacking Mushroomfoot. She was battling valiantly, but she was vastly outnumbered. Nettlepaw silently crept up on one, a light gray tom. She struck, clamping her jaws onto his ear. He yowled in surprise and managed to shake her off, but red liquid dripped from the wound and his ear was now badly torn. The three other rouges were pretty startled, so Mushroomfoot took the opportunity and struck. She tackled one, knocking him into his unsuspecting comrades. With Nettlepaw helping, she drove the four rouges out of the camp.

Nettlepaw looked around, trying to see who needed help the most. Not the queens, they were clawing any rouge that got to close while their kits cowered behind them. There was one warrior, a young but battle scarred orange tom, who was being attacked by three cats at once, but he was doing fine. He was dodging and striking like he was born to fight. The look on his face, the bloodlust in his eyes sent chills up Nettlepaw's spine. The elders were okay, too. Three cats, Wingpaw and two other apprentices, were defending them. Then, she saw it; a white she-cat speeding towards a tan tom with brown paws bending over an injured Kiss, treating her with herbs. Nettlepaw didn't recognize him, but he was probably Brownshell's apprentice.

Nettlepaw lunged right when the rouge did, slamming into her in midair and knocking her away from the medicine cat. She clawed and bit her back, but the rouge managed to bite her paw and Nettlepaw fell off. The white she-cat left the camp yowling, "We'll be back! You just wait!" Then, she was gone.

**R-E-V-I-E-W!**

**Please?**

**: )**


	5. Chapter 4

**Sorry for being so lazy about new chapters. I had a ton of work I had to finish. :( If you have something you want to ask me to improve or change, constructive criticism is accepted, but nothing too mean, please. **

As Nettlepaw was guided back to the EarthClan border by Wingpaw, worry gnawed at her. That odd Clan, ShadeClan, its name had awoken a memory faded to almost nothing. She had remembered a sense of desperation, a feeling of cold, and the tantalizingly familiar scent of a cat she didn't recognize, yet she knew.

"Everything okay?" It was Smalltwig. "You've been acting odd since the battle."

"I'm fine," Nettlepaw mewed distractedly.

"You don't sound like it." her mother looked at her with concern. "Is this about Dreampaw?" Because of Dreampaw's injuries, although he would make a full recovery, he would have to stay at DawnClan for two more days. He would still have a few scars, but every warrior did.

"Um, yeah." She hated lying to her mother, but some instinct told her that it was a bad idea to tell the truth.

She smelled the familiar scent of the forest, and she looked up. They were at the border.

"Well, bye," Wingpaw mewed. It seemed as though he was addressing the group in general, but his gaze was fixed on Nettlepaw. She found herself staring at his white pelt until he disappeared from view.

"C'mon!" Kiss called. She, Mushroomfoot, Smalltwig, and Dappleberry were waitng inside the border. "Or do you want to stay here until you gather snow?"

Purring, Nettlepaw raced after them.

* * *

><p>Nettlepaw padded into camp, a vole clamped tightly in her jaws, the sun setting at her back. The cold leaf-bare weather was supposed to be making prey scarcer, but this juicy exception had practically jumped into her paws and begged to be caught. She was about to drop it in the fresh-kill pile when Mushroomfoot came over.<p>

"Can you go drop that off in the nursery?" she asked. Netllepaw merely nodded, the big vole still in her jaws.

Netlepaw went over to the nursery. She went through the entrance in the bramble barrier and mewed cheerily, "Hi, Mistywave!" But with the vole in her mouth, it came out as a muffled grunt.

"Can you repeat that?" Mistywave, a beautiful, longhaired, pale gray she-cat mewed between licks. She was trying in vain to smooth Rockkit, a brown tom whose fur never seemed to stay down's, fur.

Nettlepaw set the fat vole down.

"Oh, that's a plump one," mewed Ottersong, a pretty brown she-cat. Her kits were due in just one moon, so she had moved into the nursery. "Good catch."

Mushroomfoot had said almost the exact same thing, but that didn't stop Nettlepaw from smiling at the queen's compliment.

"It was noth-yoww!" A sharp pain in her tail made her interrupt herself. She looked over her shoulder and saw two amber eyes full of playfulness.

"Thunderkit, let go of her!" Mistywave scolded her mischievous ginger tabby kit. "If you want to be an apprentice before the next leaf-fall, you'll behave. Understand? now go apologize to Nettlepaw."

Thunderkit mumbled an apology for biting her, while Nettlepaw barely kept down an amsed snort. She knew that Mistywave's words about behavior were wasted on Thunderkit. He was a prankster; he had been since he was old enough to see. By the time he was six moons of age, in two moons, he would have executed a whole bunch of pranks on his clanmates, aided by his brother, Rockkit. But then, Greenkit, their sister, would tattle on them, and they would get lectured on living up to their parents, Mistywave and Gingerclaw's, expectations. Then, the cycle would repeat in a day or two.

"Nettlepaw, Nettlepaw!" A gray tabby kit, Greenkit, looked up at her,emerald eyes wide. "Will you show us a battle move?"

"Please?" Rockkit begged.

"I think Mistywave wants you to settle down and go to sleep now."

"But we're not even tired," yawned Thunderkit.

"Yeah," agreed Rockkit.

"Alright," Nettlepaw mewed. She focused on a feather floating down. She leapt, batting it down, snatching it in her jaws, and biting it swiftly in half. "Was that good?" But the kits were fast asleep.

**I apologize for the length of this chapter, or lack thereof. Also, I'll try harder to update frequently. I would very much like some criticism for my story. I want to make it the best I can for my readers. Also, reviewers get imaginary hot coco with imaginary mini marshmallows. ;-)**


	6. Chapter 5

**I know I haven't updated in a while, but whenever I wanted to work on **_**Nettle's Path**_**, most of the time, I couldn't. I sincerely apologize for my lack of updating. This chapter's going to be a long one, so enjoy! (Can you please just review?) **

Nettlepaw had hoped for some peace and quiet in the apprentice den, fast asleep in her comfortable nest. But her sister sat on her.

"Ow!" Nettlepaw yowled as Vinepaw fell on her from the bushes.

"We're going to the Gathering!" Vinepaw yowled with excitement. The Gathering was the meeting of all five Clans, EarthClan, DuskClan, DawnClan, MoonClan, and SunClan, under a full-moon truce at the BigElm.

"Really?" Nettlepaw mewed with excitement.

"Really."

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath Highmound to hear my words!" Emeraldstar's yowl rang out through the camp. Nettlepaw and Vinepaw raced over to sit underneath the leader's den, also called the Highmound.

"The moon is full tonight," the Clan leader mewed. "It is time to meet in peace with the four other Clans at the BigElm. Grayfang, you, Kiss, Jack, and Batstorm stay at camp. The rouges, although I doubt it, might come here. We share a border with both of the Clans that were attacked, after all."

He leapt down from Highmound, padding toward the camp exit, followed by most of the Clan.

_I'm going to a Gathering! _Nettlepaw thought as she trotted out of camp behind Mushroomfoot and Vinepaw. _I'm going to my first Gathering!_

* * *

><p>EarthClan was the third Clan there. Emeraldstar jumped into the tree and joined Barkstar, the slender brown tabby leader of DawnClan, and Thrushstar, the light brown tom who was SunClan's leader. Dragonclaw talked with their deputies, Silkthread, a silver tabby, and Moleclaw,a at the roots.<p>

Nettlepaw spotted Wingpaw with some cats from SunClan. Purring, she weaved through the crowd of cats towards him.

"Hi, Nettlepaw!" Wingpaw mewed cheerily when he saw her. "I want to introduce you to two friends from SunClan." He tilted his head toward an orange tom with ash-gray paws. "This is Emberpaw. He doesn't talk much, but he's a good friend."

"Hello," Nettlepaw mewed.

He returned the greeting with a polite nod of his head.

"And this," Wingpaw mewed as he pointed his tail at a pretty white and gray she-cat, "is Featherpaw. She's a bit shy, but not when she gets to know you well. "

"Nice to meet you," Nettlepaw mewed politely.

"Nice to meet you, too," Featherpaw mewed timidly. "Wingpaw was just telling us how fierce you were in the battle. Did you really beat two full-grown rouges single-pawed?"

"Well, I-" Nettlepaw's mew was cut off by a rude meow.

"Two rouges is nothing," Spikepaw mewed. Apparently, he had been listening to their conversation. "At the DuskClan battle, I beat four rouges at once!"

Vinepaw came up next to Nettlepaw. "I saw you, Spikepaw. You did no such thing! As I clearly recall, you were praying to StarClan under your breath the whole time, and there were four rouges surrounding you when Dragonclaw, Appleleaf, and I saved your sorry tail and helped you fend off the rouges!"

"Well," Spikepaw mumbled, "If it wasn't for me, those four rouges wouldn't have been beaten so soon." He padded off.

"Who was that?" Featherpaw asked.

"An arrogant furball," Vinepaw meowed. "His name's Spikepaw. Hard to believe he's Dreampaw's brother. Speaking of Dreampaw," she turned to Nettlepaw, "why wasn't he at camp?"

"Well…"

"He got hurt," Wingpaw explained. "His paws were injured, so he'll have to stay in DawnClan for a little bit. Nothing he won't recover from."

"Who's this?" Featherpaw asked Nettlepaw.

"Oh, this is my sister, Vinepaw," Nettlepaw mewed. She introduced Emberpaw and Featherpaw to her.

More cats came into the circle of bushes surrounding the BigElm. They were led by a white tom with silver paws.

"That's Silverstar," Vinepaw mewed, nodding to the white tom. "He's the leader of DuskClan."

She trotted after a gray and white DuskClan she-cat, probably a friend from the battle.

"So," Featherpaw mewed, "is this your first Gathering?"

"Yep," Nettlepaw meowed.

"Mine, too." Her ears pricked. "Oh, I think Bramblecloud is telling a story!" She padded off toward a shady bush. Nettlepaw followed, wondering who Bramblecloud was.

She found out a moment later. Bramblecloud, a tan tabby SunClan elder, was telling an old story.

"And Firestar, leader of the mighty ThunderClan, struck down Scourge, the vicious leader of BloodClan after losing his first life at his claws. Scourge had no faith in StarClan, thus he only had one life to lose. Firestar, once a mere kittypet, had vanquished Scourge, the killer of Tigerstar, the tyrant leader of ShadowClan who killed many cats on his path to Clan leader."

Normally, Nettlepaw loved this story. She liked all of the stories about Firestar, the great leader of one of the original four Clans: ThunderClan, ShadowClan, RiverClan, and WindClan. He was so brave! But something distracted her: Vinepaw whispering to the battle-scarred DawnClan tom she had seen fighting three rouges.

_What is she doing? _Nettlepaw wondered. She padded over to them to eavesdrop, but then MoonClan came into the shrubs surrounding the Bigelm, and their leader, a big black tom with a brown muzzle named Bearstar, jumped up to join the four other Clans.

Emeraldstar stepped forward on his tree limb.

"Prey has been running well in EarthClan," he began. "DawnClan and DuskClan both had a little rouge trouble that we helped to take care of. One of our apprentices, Dreampaw, injured his paws in the process. Unfortunately, he will have to rest a little in DawnClan before he can come back home, but he will recover soon. I have nothing else to report." He stepped back.

Next, Barkstar of DawnClan stepped forth.

"What Emeraldstar says is true," she mewed, "a young EarthClan apprentice will have to stay in DawnClan for a little while, but he will return to his Clan as soon as his paws heal. On a happier note, we have two new warriors: Northstorm and Mousefire."

"Northstorm, Mousefire!" the Clans all chanted. Nettlepaw saw the orange tom, probably Mousefire, swell with pride. He had wandered away from Vinepaw, and was now in a crowd of DawnClan cats.

Barkstar waited for the cheering to die down, and then continued.

"Also, Zebrastripe has delivered two healthy kits, Goldkit and Yewkit, and DawnClan is quite excited at two new additions to the Clan." She backed away, ending her report.

Silverstar was next. His report was much the same, as were Bearstar's and Trushstar's. A fox was chased from the MoonClan territory. Blossompetal of SunClan had given birth to two healthy new kits, Nutkit and Seakit.

Before Nettlepaw knew it, the Gathering was over. As she and the rest of EarthClan left the BigElm, she heard Wingpaw whisper, "Meet me here at the next crescent moon."

She turned, and saw his fluffy silver tail disappear through the bushes before he was swallowed up by the night outside.


	7. Chapter 6

**Thank you, Fluffehkinz and Stormyfang502. Your reviews really made me happy! :D Reviews like yours really help make my day! : )**

**I would also like to apologize for not updating in a while. My computer crashed, and I was forced to take a vacation. : ( But now I am back, and all is well.**

Poolripple sat in her nest in the medicine cat den, gazing at the brightly twinkling pinpoints of light that made up Silverpelt, where the spirits of warriors who had died dwelled, watching over the Clans.

_Oh, StarClan, what did you mean? _She wailed silently.

Her apprentice, Redpaw, stirred in his slumber. He turned over, grunting. His tail twitched.

Poolripple closed her eyes, and the memory came.

* * *

><p><em>Poolripple was at the Moontree with the other medicine cats. They had traveled all the way through MoonClan territory to reach the tree where they would communicate with their warrior ancestors. <em>

_She climbed to a sturdy limb that would hold her weight, and closed her eyes. The light of the half-moon shined upon the cats' sleeping forms. She opened her eyes again, and found herself in a misty, starlit forest clearing._

_A white tabby tom sat in front of her, his eyes closed._

"_Cottonstripe," she mewed happily, touching her nose to her former mentor's snowy pelt._

_ His eyes remained closed._

"_Cottonstripe, are you alright?" Poolripple asked, stepping away with concern in her blue eyes._

_ His eyelids flew open_, _revealing bright yellow eyes. They began to glow with the light of stars._

"When the shadows of the Shade darken the Clans, the Nettle shall be called to her path, guided by the Dream and the Wing," _he rasped."_

_He started to fade, sliding backward like he was being pulled by an unseen force as well._

"_Wait!" Poolripple yowled, running after him. "What do you mean?"_

_She woke with a start on the limb._

* * *

><p>The memory fading from her mind, Poolripple settled into her nest. She hadn't understood the prophecy then, and she didn't get it now, either. But when she first saw Nettlepaw, she had felt Cottonstripe's presence, whispering something she couldn't make out.<p>

_Is she the one? _Poolripple wondered. _Don't they know who she is? How could they choose a cat of her blood? No, it could not have been her. That would be almost impossible. No, she isn't the cat. _

She fell into a deep sleep, all thoughts of the prophecy vanishing from her mind.

But as Poolripple closed her eyes, Redpaw opened his.

He said two words: "Nettle's path."

**I decided to change the prophecy because it didn't really have any relevance to the Clans. I apologize for the short chapter. I actually post a lot of short chapters, now that I think about it. **

**I would really appreciate some constructive criticism. I want to make **_**Nettle's Path **_**the best it can be, and I can only do that if readers tell me what needs to be better. SO JUST REVIEW! Please? **


	8. Chapter 7

**I'd like to thank Zestia240 for giving that review. But sadly, I cannot answer your question, as it is of critical importance to the plot and is therefore ****CLASSIFIED.**** But if you continue to read, you'll find out. Eventually. ; ) **

Nettlepaw cautiously stepped around the other apprentices. It was the half-moon: she was going to meet Wingpaw at the BigElm. She was especially careful around Dreampaw, who had previously returned from DawnClan ; he was very unpredictable when he was asleep. Dreampaw sat up suddenly, his long white fur bristling. Nettlepaw froze, thinking she had been caught. But his fur smoothed, he fell down again, mumbled something about mouse-brained fat squirrels, and Nettlepaw nearly sighed with relief. She waited until she was sure he was asleep, and then she crept out of the apprentice den, her golden pelt disappearing into the night.

Carefully, she snuck to the underground tunnel that led to the Dirtplace. She heard a sound, and tensed, pricking her ears. But it was just the wind. She relaxed. And, wrinkling her nose at the stench, she crept into the tunnel.

On the way to the BigElm, she scented a blackbird, and couldn't resist. She went into the hunting crouch automatically. Silently, she crept to the source of the scent: a small blackbird. Once she was within one catlength, she pounced, pinning down the bird and ending its life with a quick nip to its neck. She bowed her head in a silent prayer of thanks to StarClan.

_Although it's not a very large bird, thank you for its life. Thank you for keeping the forest alive and full of prey._

Nettlepaw tore off a bit of the bird's back, spitting out the feathers. She took a bit more. In a few minutes, the bird was gone. She dug a hole, burying its bones and feathers.

She trotted to the edge of EarthClan territory. In the place where all the clan territories met grew a huge elm tree: the BigElm. She smelled the fishy aroma of DawnClan. Purring, she rushed forward, bursting into the sloppy ring of bushes. What she saw was not what she expected at all.

Two rouges, screeching and hissing and swiping at Wingpaw. Nettlepaw screeched a fearsome battle-cry and leapt into the fight.

"Nettlepaw! You came!" Wingpaw mewed happily while swiping at a thin gray she-cat.

"What, you thought I wouldn't?" Nettlepaw asked, her eyes fixed on her opponent: a young black tom.

For just a second, they locked eyes, and Nettlepaw knew that was _exactly _what thought.

Then the tom pounced, and Nettlepaw was forced back into the fight. She dodged, and the rouge crashed to the ground. Nettlepaw took this opportunity and struck, biting the tom on the ear. Blood spurted from the wound. He turned around, blood dripping in his eyes, and lunged. Nettlepaw was about to take a swipe at his face when time slowed down. She looked into his eyes, and something rekindled a memory. Suddenly, she couldn't see, but she could scent and feel that she was with two kittens. She was warm and safe and was with another cat she trusted. But then she heard yowling, and she was suddenly somewhere cold. Then the same memory awoken by ShadeClan's name: desperation, fear, hunger, and a chase.

Then the flashback ended, and the tom was on top of her. And then another memory came, and she looked into his face.

"Rat?" Nettlepaw asked hesitantly.

He was so surprised, he let go of her.

"H-how does a brick-brained forest cat know my name?" Rat snarled suspiciously.

"I don't know, Nettlepaw admitted.

But she heard a hiss from behind, and the rouge that had been battling with Wingpaw had pinned her down.

"You are the most worthless, brick-brained apprentice I've ever had!" the she-cat growled, making Rat shrink back in fear. "You are never going to be a real member of ShadeClan if you stop to chat with the cats you're supposed to attack. Let me show you the proper way to deal with one of these overfed Clan cats." She raised a forepaw, claws extended.

_Overfed? That just crossed the line, _Nettlepaw thought with outrage. _They can call me a brick-brain, whatever that is, but calling me overfed, that's just going too far. _

She kicked upward, and the rouge flew off, landing three tail-lengths away. Wingpaw, who had been lying down a few moments ago, probably stunned by a blow to the head, barreled into the she-cat, and she slumped to the ground.

There was silence for a few moments. And then:

"Is she dead?" Rat asked.

"Nope," Wingpaw took a moment to catch his breath, "just unconscious."

The small tom growled and slashed at Wingpaw, who jumped back.

"What'd you do that for?" asked Wingpaw indignantly.

"Two things," Rat mewed, "One, you're the _enemy_, and two, this miserable, flea-bitten, malicious bully," he jabs at her limb body with a forepaw, "torments me constantly, and my life would be much happier without this, this …" he paused, struggling to find a word bad enough to describe her, "spiteful crowfood," he decided. He sighed.

"But it could be worse," Rat admitted. "My trainer, Stoneheart, is bad, but Iceshade," he shuddered, "Iceshade is much harsher and worse. His apprentices… they often don't make it. Like my sister. He wanted to train her himself. My mother tried to resist… neither she-cats were heard from again."

He blinked, and seemed to remember who he was talking to. He snarled.

"I don't even know why I'm telling enemies like you two all of these things." He glanced at the graying sky. "I need to go back." He grabbed Stoneheart's scruff in his jaws and slowly started dragging her away.

"Wait," Wingpaw called. Rat turned around. "Why were you here?"

"For my initiation ceremony," Rat mewed darkly, "I was to become a full member of ShadeClan, a fighter, by killing a Clan cat." With that, he turned, and dragged the gray cat away.

** So, did you like it? The ending had a bit of an ominous note to it, didn't it? I hope you liked the bits of humor I put in it. Once again, I ask you to R-E-V-I-E-W. My story can only be the best it can be if you review. Please? **


	9. Chapter 8

**Thank you for reviewing again, Zestia240. Yeah, Rat does have a tough life: his trainer is a cruel, harsh cat. His leader is hateful, too. And then his sister disappeared on top of all that…**

Nettlepaw watched, tail curled around her legs, as Rat's dark tail disappeared through a gap between two bushes.

"Good riddance," Wingpaw muttered. "That cat was insane."

Nettlepaw turned on him, eyes blazing.

"You cold-hearted furball," she snarled. "Can't you see how much pain that cat has gone through? He lost his sister and his mother, for StarClan's sake! Would a little sympathy kill you?"

Wingpaw just stood there, flabbergasted. Then his fur began to bristle.

"Why are you getting so defensive about it?" Wingpaw demanded. "I wanted to meet with you again at the new moon, but now you can just forget about it!"

He turned and stalked away.

Nettlepaw immediately felt guilty. She padded over to him.

"Look, I'm sorry," she mewed softly. "It's just… he looks so familiar. Like I know him, but I know that's impossible…" she trailed off

Wingpaw looked at her with concern.

"Are you sure that's impossible? Could you have known him and you just can't remember? Like when you were a kit?"

Nettlepaw's eyes blazed.

"Are you implying that I am a rouge?" she hissed. "Or that my parents were rouges?"

Wingpaw blinked in surprise.

"No, I just…"

She turned her back on him, instead looking at the rising sun.

"I should go back," Nettlepaw mewed coldly. She got up to leave.

"Wait," Wingpaw called.

Nettlepaw looked over her shoulder at him.

"Will you meet me here again, at the new moon?"

Nettlepaw's eyes softened. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Both cats left with a new feeling in their hearts.

On Nettlepaw's way back to camp, she scented prey. She quietly crawled forward in the hunting crouch, and spotted it: a large squirrel foraging for acorns under an oak tree. Silently, she crept forward. Once she was within pouncing distance, and after checking to make sure the breeze was blowing at her, not behind her, she wiggled her haunches, and leapt.

The squirrel sensed her, and tried to run away, but it was too late. She pinned it down and bit its neck. It struggled for a moment, and then went limp. She murmured a prayer of thanks to StarClan.

She caught a few more pieces of prey: two mice and a pigeon. They would provide a good excuse for going out of camp.

As she was approaching the two bramble thickets that marked the tunnel to the camp, she heard a very faint mew coming from a bush. Curious but suspicious, Nettlepaw padded over. Cautiously, she lifted a branch with her paw. Underneath was an unconcious, dark gray kit, almost six moons old.

She sniffed it and blinked in surprise: it was from DawnClan.

Nettlepaw carefully buried her catch in leaves. She picked up the mewling bundle by its scruff and carried it through the underground tunnel.

In the camp, Smalltwig and Mushroomfoot were talking to Emeraldstar.

"-have to send a patrol to search for her," Smalltwig was saying.

Then she saw her daughter, and her face lit up. She rushed over.

"Oh, I'm so glad you're safe! Did anything hurt you?"

But then Mushroomfoot came over with a stern expression on her face, although Nettlepaw could see the relief in her eyes.

"Nettlepaw," she mewed, "your mother and I have been worried sick about you. Why were you out of camp alone?"

She could feel the eyes of all the cats in camp staring at her.

"I was hunting," she mewed, setting down the kit.

Mushroomfoot shook her head.

"You're a better hunter than that. Dreampaw woke up an hour after moonhigh, and your nest was empty. You would've caught more than one little-" suddenly the kit awoke.

"Where am I?" it mewed in a small voice. "What happened? Where's Flickertail? My head hurts. I want my mama!" It began to bawl.

Mushroomfoot's eyes widened.

"That's Flickertail's eldest kit, a tom named Plumkit! What in the name of StarClan is it doing here?"

"How do you know that?"

"I'm friends with Flickertail's sister, Ghosttail. But don't change the subject. What is she doing here?"

"Um-" her mew was cut off by a new voice.

"She obviously stole it from DawnClan." Heads turned to see Spikepaw, his fur sticking up in spikes, as usual. "From moonhigh to dawn is plenty of time to go to enemy territory and back."

"Go chase your tail," Dreampaw mewed as he padded forward, "you don't have to be spiteful for no reason, you know."

"But she knows the territory," Spikepaw argued, causing a few cats to murmur in agreement.

Dreampaw's fur was bristling, making him twice as big.

"Nettlepaw is one of my best friends," he growled, "and if I have to fight to get you to see that she is innocent-" he flexed his unsheathed, razor-sharp claws "-then I will."

Nettlepaw couldn't help feeling amazed and gratified by her friend's courage and loyalty. Spikepaw might be arrogant and spiteful, but he was a great fighter. And Nettlepaw was sure that Spikepaw wouldn't go easy on his littermate.

Both toms hissed. They wiggled their haunches, preparing to pounce.

Just then a loud mew interrupted their battle: "Stop!"

Heads turned, and now EarthClan saw Emeraldstar on the Highmound.

"What is the meaning of this?" there was a silence. Then, Mushroomfoot spoke up.

"It appears that Nettlepaw went out hunting, and brought back one of Flickertail's kits," she mewed, nodding at Pearkit.

"She stole it!" Spikepaw yowled.

"You have no evidence!" Dreampaw shot back.

"Stop!" This time it was Dragonclaw. He gave his apprentice a stern look. "You shouldn't be unfairly accusing an innocent clanmate. We don't have any real evidence. Obviously, this poor kit is the only witness," he meowed, his eyes softening on the frightened kit.

"Poolripple," Emeraldstar called.

"Yes, Emeraldstar?" She came trotting out of her den: a large hollow in the fallen tree that was in the southwest corner of camp.

"I need you to see if this lost kit-" he nodded at Pearkit "-has been injured."

Poolripple took the little tom to her den, with Nettlepaw following

"It's okay," Poolripple mewed gently. "What happened?"

"I-I don't know," the dark gray tom mewed. "I kind of snuck out camp and saw this pretty apprentice hunting-" he pointed her tail at Nettlepaw, who felt her pelt go hot with embarrassment "-I wanted to get a closer look at her, but I fell in the river. I must have gotten turned around in the water, because I came into your territory when I got onto the bank. I tried to go back, but the first crossing took too much of my strength. I hit my head on some rocks, and then I was just barely able to swim back to your bank and go deeper into the forest. Then, I fell asleep under a bush and woke up in this camp."

"Redpaw, I'll need some feverfew for his head, some lavender for the chill, one or two poppy seeds for the pain, and maybe some thyme," Ripplepool mewed.

"Should I put some ragwort in to keep his strength up?" Redpaw mewed, already mixing the herbs.

"No," Poolripple mewed. "Sleep will restore his strength best."

Redpaw pushed the herbs towards Plumkit, who nibbled it, then recoiled.

"It tastes nasty," he hissed, spitting out the mixture.

"You _have_ to eat it," Redpaw urged.

"But it's so gross!" Plumkit complained. "I _have_ to spit it out!"

"How about this," Poolripple mewed. "I'll get some heather nectar to put in it. It'll make it easier to swallow and make it sweeter. Would you like that?"

"Okay," Plumkit mewed.

"Redpaw, Nettlepaw, try to make sure Plumkit doesn't eat my herbs."

"Yes, Poolripple," Nettlepaw and Redpaw said in unison.

She nodded and disappeared into the back of the den.

Plumkit began to pace, sneezing every once in a while.

"I'm bored," he mewed.

"Do you want to hear a story?" Nettlepaw asked.

"Yes!" Plumkit exclaimed.

"Okay. Now there was once a bunny named Bob. Then he got eaten. The end."

"That wasn't a story!"

"Okay," Nettlepaw purred laughingly. "What story do you want?"

"One about Firestar!"

"Oh, so you like him, too?"

"Yep! But Leopardstar is pretty awesome, too!"

"Okay. Now, I'm going to tell you myfavorite story." She cleared her throat. "_Once, back in the time before these five Clans, there existed four ancient Clans: ThunderClan: fierce and brave; WindClan: swift and loyal; RiverClan: clever and strong; ShadowClan: wily and proud. But these Clans were to face a danger greater than ever before. And so StarClan sent to ThunderClan this prophecy: _Fire alone can save our Clan-"

"I'm back!" Poolripple climbed back down with a piece of sweet- scented moss in her jaws.

She squeezed some sweet-smelling liquid onto the herbs. Plumkit nibbled at it.

"Better?" Poolripple asked.

Plumkit nodded, his eyelids drooping from the poppy seeds. Then, he fell asleep.

Poolripple turned.

"Redpaw, can you go get Mushroomfoot? Nettlepaw, you're coming with me."

"Why?"

Poolripple blinked.

"To go to DawnClan, of course."

**Okay, readers, I have a request for all of you. Ottersong is going to have kits soon, and I would like it if you helped me to come up with some good names for them. I already wrote down names for them, but I lost them, so until I find them, please help me. I am planning on having her have five kits. If you want to come up with some, please include their name, personality, and appearance. Thank you. **


	10. Chapter 9

**WarriorCat99, I like your kits, but there is already a Thunderkit in EarthClan. However, I will be using at least two of your cats. I'm so glad you like my story!**

**Zestia240, thank you for the kit. I will almost definitely use her in **_**Nettle's Path**_**. Plumkit **_**is**_** really cute :) He has never told a lie or hid his true emotions. That's led to quite a few awkward moments…**

**Blackpoppy101, thanks for the praise and support, I really appreciate it. : )**

Nettlepaw, Redpaw, Mushroomfoot, and Poolripple, not to mention Plumkit, who was dangling from Mushroomfoot's jaws by his scruff, trudged through DawnClan's watery territory, leaping over the streams and brooks that often appeared and making their way through the clusters of trees that were slightly less common.

"Why'd I have to come?" Nettlepaw complained, the leaf-fall wind making her shiver. Unlike her sister and mother, who both had thick, warm pelts, Nettlepaw had thinner fur, good for keeping cool in green-leaf, but not as effective at protecting her from the cold breezes of leaf-fall and leaf-bare.

"Because," Poolripple mewed, "If a group of senior warriors came charging into our camp with a missing kit, what would you think?"

Nettlepaw hesitated.

"I'd think it was an invasion," she admitted, "or a hostage negotiation."

Poolripple nodded.

"But two medicine cats, a warrior, and a young apprentice aren't as much of a threat," she mewed. "And also-"

She didn't get to finish her sentence because just then an enemy patrol ran right into them. Literally.

The four patrolling cats were knocked off their feet by the collision. But in a split-second, they were back up again, snarling. There was a moment when all was still, then:

"Aunt Ghosttail!" Plumkit wiggled out of Mushroomfoot's jaws. He scrambled over to a skinny black she-cat with a white tail-tip. Plumkit tackled her. He purred in delight, knocking the she-cat over, and causing the whitish gray tom, apricot she-cat, and the silver tabby she-cat that she was patrolling with to blink in surprise.

She got back up, her face set in a stern expression.

"Plumkit, do you have any idea how worried your mother was? How worried I was! What were you thinking, going off at night all by yourself? Thank StarClan a fox didn't get you! Once we get back to camp, I'm sure that Barkstar will decide to postpone your apprentice ceremony!"

Plumkit practically shrank before his fuming aunt. But Nettlepaw could see the relief, the joy in her eyes.

She turned to the EarthClan cats.

"Thank you for returning Plumkit to us. Flickertail will be overjoyed." She shook her head in wonder. "But why he is almost six moons old, and acts like a two-moon-old will forever be a mystery."

The four DawnClan cats departed, vanishing into the night.

"That was easier than I expected," Redpaw mewed, "I really thought we would have been attacked by now."

They heard hissing, and five rouges erupted from the bracken.

"You really had to say something," Nettlepaw snarled, unsheathing her claws.

The biggest rouge, a huge black tom yowling a fearsome battle-cry, all five pounced.

Nettlepaw's opponent was a scrawny brown she-cat, about her age. As they struck and dodged, Nettlepaw detected a scent like Rat's, but not exactly his. She forced the she-cat back into the cluster of trees where she had emerged. She pinned her down.

"Okay. I just want to talk."

The she-cat snarled.

"Cowards talk. Warriors fight."

"I'm a friend of Rat's."

The she-cat blinked, the hostility fading from her eyes. Nettlepaw let go, allowing her to get up.

"I see my foolish brother has now made friends with the enemy," she mewed. "My name's Shrew by the way."

_Brother? _Nettlepaw thought_. That would explain her scent._

"Can you get him to meet me at the border between EarthClan and Twolegplace?"

Shrew sighed.

"I can make no promises, but I'll try. But wouldn't you get killed if you were found?"

That last question took Nettlepaw by surprise.

"No, I wouldn't get killed. EarthClan doesn't put ten-moon-old apprentices to death."

"Forgot," Shrew muttered. "You're a forest cat."

"Do you mean to tell me that Rat will likely be killed if we are discovered?"

"Yep. If Iceshade is feeling merciful, then maybe he might get exiled instead."

"But that's so cruel."

Shrew's green eyes locked with Nettlepaw's amber ones.

"There is no place for traitors in ShadeClan," she mewed ominously. Her ears pricked. "Quick, fight me!"

She leapt at Nettlepaw, claws unsheathed, just as the huge black tom from earlier burst into the small clearing.

"C'mon, Shrew, strategic retreat," he mewed quickly, pulling his head back as soon as the words escaped his jaws.

"Gotta go," Shrew mewed. "I'll tell him to meet you at the new moon."

Her pelt disappeared into the dark night, leaving Nettlepaw with a sinking feeling in her heart.

_I'll have to choose, _Nettlepaw thought glumly. _Wingpaw, or Rat?_

** Poor Nettlepaw. Which will she choose? Also, those who want to give me a kit: this is your last chance. By the time the next chapter is posted, it will be too late to give me a kit. If you want to give me a kitten, you can give me up to five cats. Please put their appearance and personality. Thank you. **


	11. Chapter 10

**I'm sorry for not updating, but I've finally gotten off of my butt and started writing, so enjoy!**

**mosskit of thunderclan: thank you! You don't know how much it means to me that you put this story on your favorites list. Again, thanks.**

**ScourgexScarlet: I'm guessing you mean Wingpaw. Thanks for the praise!**

**Fluffekinz: Thanks, I will continue, and also, thank you soooo much for adding this to your favs.**

Nettlepaw looked into the dark forest. She was at the part of the path that led to Bigelm where it split in two; one path to Twolegplace; one to the Bigelm.

_I'm sorry, Wingpaw, _she thought, already starting towards Twolegplace. _But this is important to me._

Even in the semi-darkness, she found her way to the border without difficulty. Warily, she sniffed again for EarthClan patrols, and then stepped onto the Thunderpath.

The Thunderpaths were dangerous things. Twolegs rode across them in giant, noisy Monsters that could crush a cat under their huge black paws. This Thunderpath was no exception.

Nettlepaw recoiled, jumping back as a red Monster flew past. The Thunderpath was quiet. Nettlepaw hesitated, then ran like the wind, dashing across and not slackening her pace until she lay panting, safe on the other side.

She looked around, her eyes meeting strange, tall, red nests. She was in Twolegplace.

"Hey!"

She looked up. A fat ginger tom was perched on top of a wooden fence.

"You smell like mice. Are ya one of those forest cats?" he mewed.

"What's it to you?"

"Can't a cat be curious?"

Nettlepaw glanced up at the moon in the sky. She didn't have time for this.

"Whatever," she meowed, trotting away, "I've better things to do than argue with a _kittypet_."

"It was nice meeting you, too," the cat called after her.

She lasted about two minutes before she became completely and utterly lost. She couldn't tell where she had come from or where she should go next.

_Okay, _she thought, _what would Mushroomfoot do? _She remembered when she had gotten too overeager on her first day of her apprenticeship and she had run off into the forest. It had taken Mushroomfoot ages to find her. _'If you get lost,' _her mentor had mewed, '_try to find your scent trail and retrace your steps.'_

Her scent was covered up by the strange odor of Twolegplace, so Nettlepaw decided to try to climb to the top of one of the strange Twoleg nests and find a path back to the forest. She jumped up onto a big metal box. She wrinkled her nose at the strong, repulsive scent of crowfood. The gold she-cat leaped up onto a ledge under a clear square of something on the side of a large gray nest. She was starting to climb up the wall when she caught a whiff of a familiar scent. She looked down. There were two rouges below her. Her eyes widened as she recognized Rat and Stoneheart.

"This is all you could find! You worthless excuse for an apprentice!" Stoneheart was screeching. Rat had a scrawny rat and a bone with a few scraps on it. She hissed, unsheathing her claws and dealing a swipe to her apprentice's face. Rat barely even flinched as his mentor's claws made contact with his cheek. Blood dripped from the wound.

"And if you want food," she spat, "you'll have to catch more than this!" she grabbed the food and stalked away.

Rat smiled despite the small wound, walking over to a mound of dirt by a box. He scraped away the soil, revealing several pieces of some kind of meat.

"Been doing this for nine moons," he murmured to himself, "and the brick-brain never suspected it once."

Nettlepaw was about to jump down to where Rat was when a claw was pressed to her throat.

"Just what," a female voice whispered in her ear, "do you think you're doing?"

For a moment, Nettlepaw couldn't move. Then she came to her senses. She growled, throwing the she-cat off of her. A tortoiseshell crashed into the windowsill next to her, barely managing to get a grip on the white-painted wood.

"What I do is none of your business," Nettlepaw snarled.

"It does if it involves spying on my brother."

Nettlepaw froze.

"Y-your brother?"

"Yep," another voice mewed. "Thorn's my sister."

Nettlepaw turned to see Rat and Shrew behind her. Neither seemed all that happy to see her.

"Why'd you come here?" growled Rat.

Nettlepaw met his glare defiantly.

"I came for answers," she mewed.

"I don't have any," Rat snarled.

"All I want to know is who your sister was."

At the mention of his lost sister, Rat's expression grew sorrowful. His claws slid back into their sheaths, and he slumped to the ground.

He looked up, his eyes full of raw grief.

"She… she was the cutest little ball of fluff you'd ever see," Rat sighed with nostalgia. "She brought smiles to the senior warriors' faces… cats that had never smiled since they were kits. She made our mother purr until her eyes watered.

"That all changed when Iceshade saw her," he mewed, anger filling his eyes. "He wanted her for his apprentice. All the warriors wanted her. It wasn't just the light she brought here. She had a strong spirit.

"In our play-fights, she'd never surrender. Now that I think about it, she was a wee bit sassy."

Both his sisters stared at him.

"A 'wee bit'!" Thorn demanded. "She talked back to the leader himself! It was a wonder she didn't become crowfood!"

"Yeah," Rat said wistfully. "Well, Iceshade wanted her to be his apprentice. Our mother didn't like that. She ran away. Ran away to…" a veil of confusion covered his face. "Uh, I forget exactly. But we never saw either of them again."

A tear streaked down his face.

"The stories tell it wasn't always this way," Shrew murmured.

"Those are just legends," Thorn protested. "Nursery tales queens tell to their kits."

Shrew glared at her. "They are not! One day, a Golden Cat will come and make everything right!"

"Wait, what?" Nettlepaw was utterly confused.

Thorn glanced at me. "ShadeClan wasn't always this way," she said bitterly. "The tragic tale of Shadeheart, our founder, is passed down through the generations. She and her mate, Silverclaw, who was a warrior from a different clan, were exiled simply because they loved each other. Shadeheart swore vengeance on the clans.

"Their son was forced to leave. They founded a Clan, a home for exiles and rouges: anyone who needed a home.

"Then the two founders passed away. Their son took over. Seasons of bitterness had turned his heart cold. He tore down the Code his parents had placed, putting his own twisted rules in their stead. We still live by those laws."

"You should go," Rat spat as the sun rose behind him, "Before you're missed."

Nettlepaw turned to leave, but looked back instead.

"Uh, it's just… what did she look like—your sister?"

Rat frowned; this was obviously not the question he had expected.

"She… she was a lot like our mother: amber eyes; golden pelt and a heart to match. You really should be going now. ShadeClan doesn't take kindly to tresspassers."

Nettlepaw padded off. Her pace quickened, turning into a trot, then a sprint as she raced across the Thunderpath to EarthClan.

She froze on the edge of EarthClan territory as a scream shattered the peaceful dawn.

**Cliff-hanger! Sorry again for never updating, I really need to work on that…**

**Oh, and, I lied, I'm giving you one more day to submit one of Ottersong's kits. You can submit up to 5 kits at a time, and you need to submit **_**at least**_** their name, appearance, and personality. You can also add other things, if you want to, like whom you want their crush to be, if I can kill your cat later, etc.**

**~Raintail**


	12. Chapter 11

**I'M SO SORRY! I really didn't mean to keep you waiting for so long, but I just lost the motivation to update. :P I **_**will**_** try to update regularly, I promise! **

**Now, onto the Answering of Reviews!**

**I just have one message to everyone today: I'm so sorry! I will never again go this long without updating. Anyone who submitted a cat, thank you! Thank you for your support! I promise not to be a burden on my readers with my procrastination anymore! That being said, enjoy! Now! Do it! Seriously!**

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><p>By the time Nettlepaw got to camp, it was too late. The cat's limp black body lay in the clearing, covered in blood. Formerly white markings were now dyed a deep, horrifying red.<p>

Jack lay in the middle of the clearing, sobbing. He thumped his tail against the ground in agony, and Nettlepaw stood, dazed. What had happened?

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath Highmound to hear my words!" Emeraldstar's yowl rang out, breaking the silence.

Nettlepaw remained stationary for a moment, trying to sort out what just happened. She shook her head, deciding that her best shot at figuring out what the mouse-dung was going on was to listen and wait.

"Today, we see the death of the brave and noble warrior called Kiss. She was not born here. She left behind her friends and family and journeyed with her brother to find a new life. That life was ended tonight by a rouge. Her patrol was ambushed as they looked to bring a missing cat home. "

There was silence in the clearing. Guilt, horrible guilt churned in Nettlepaw's stomach. Missing cat? This was all her fault.

Emeraldstar continued.

"May StarClan guide her path… Kiss!" He paused for a moment. "No. This cat died a warrior's death and will die with a warrior's name."

He leapt from his perch on Highmound to a place beside the cat's broken form.

"I ask my warrior ancestors to look down upon this cat. She has learned the warrior code and has died in the service of her Clan. Let StarClan receive her as a warrior. She will be known as Blazingheart for her bravery in battle. May she never be forgotten."

Nettlepaw's heart was pounding. The world was getting blurry. A cat was dead. She had killed a cat. Kiss, Blazingheart now, would've been alive if she wasn't such a fool. She was a murderer. As bad as the cats from the old stories. Brokenstar, Thistleclaw, Scourge. She had just killed another cat. Maybe not directly, but it was still all her fault. She knew what she had to do.

But she was scared.

So she ran.

She fled through the tunnel, out into the forest, paws tearing at the ground. She sprinted out of the forest, onto the riverbank. No, she was under the river's surface. She was drowning.

_Good,_ she thought. _I deserve it._

She closed her eyes, willing the darkness to take the horrible agony away.

But suddenly, she was being pulled up. Another cat was holding her, swimming with her, fighting against the current.

Nettlepaw opened her eyes. A young tom was pulling her up, his eyes shining with determination. His long silver tail swished through the water and she realized with a start who it was.

She smiled weakly.

Their heads broke the surface. The cat dragged her to the EarthClan bank of the river by the scruff of her neck.

She lay there, panting and coughing, hacking up water. The tom sank back into the river.

"Wingpaw! Wait!"

The tom turned.

"Please." Nettlepaw's eyes were wide and scared, not unlike a young kit's. "Please. Don't go. Please."

Wingpaw slunk under the suface.

"No!" Nettlepaw screamed. "No…"

The world was suddenly blurry again. She sank back, but was awake long enough to hear five words, almost like a whisper.

_The Nettle's Path will rise._

* * *

><p>Nettlepaw woke up. She was in a log, the Medicine Cat's den. She turned around to see a swarm of cats staring at her.<p>

"Ah!"

"Alright, alright. Everycat, clear out." Poolripple had entered. No one moved.

"I said: everycat, _clear out. Now_."

All the cats sprinted away. The last thing anycat wanted was to have Poolripple mad at them. For a Medicine Cat, she had some sharp claws.

"It's okay." Poolripple was looking at Nettlepaw now, compassion in her eyes, not anger. "Here, eat up."

The medicine cat pushed a leaf in front of Nettlepaw, a pile of herbs resting upon it.

Nettlepaw sniffed it suspiciously.

Poolripple chuckled.

"It's only thyme. And those are poppy seeds, not foxglove."

Nettlepaw remained unconvinced, causing Poolripple to sigh in exasperation.

"For StarClan's sake, just eat it!" the gray she-cat yowled.

Wilting, Nettlepaw obeyed.

"Thyme and poppy… it's to ease shock, right?"

Poolripple nodded.

"Judging by the state you were in, you need it. Half-drowned, you were. But not fully-drowned, at least."

Nettlepaw flashed a nervous smile.

But Poolripple's eyes suddenly filled with seriousness.

"You realize there will be repercussions. You ran off, a cat died-" Nettlepaw winced "- and then you were found on the border with DawnClan."

She leaned forward.

"To anycat with half of a mouse's brain, it would look like you were plotting something."

"Wha- what!?"

Poolripple gazed at the young gold she-cat.

"Most cats will be thinking that you are a traitor, but we both know that's not true. Emeraldstar knows it's not true. The Clan may want you to be exiled, but don't worry! Don't worry, that won't happen. But even so, you will be punished… you will be punished somehow."

"Poolripple, what's going to happen to me?"

Poolripple turned away, silent.

"Poolripple, please, tell me. You have to. You have to!"

"Come on," Poolripple mewed. "Your destiny awaits us."

* * *

><p>It was surprisingly calm outside the fallen log. It was moonhigh. No cat stared at her, even looked at her. They were all gathered around Emeraldstar's den, their eyes on the ground.<p>

Only two cats dared to meet her gaze. Dreampaw, his eyes wide and frantic, Vinepaw's bleak and despairing.

"Nettlepaw." Emeraldstar's sad, regal green stare met Nettlepaw's terrified amber gaze. "You have disregarded your duties as a Warrior and disregarded your Warrior Ancestors. You have disgraced your Warrior title, and so your Warrior title I strip of you. Until you prove yourself again, you shall forever remain the apprentice Nettlepaw."

The silence following this statement was deafening. More than that, it was suffocating. Nettlepaw's world was crumbling around her. And she deserved it.

_Never a warrior… ever?_

She stumbled backwards as the throng of cats dispersed, barely feeling their disapproving murmurs and glares. A black cat moved closer to her.

"Looks like you really messed up," Spikepaw whispered to Nettlepaw.

"Leave me alone, Spikepaw." Nettlepaw's voice cracked.

"It's Spike_pelt_ now. Emeraldstar had plenty of time to make me a Warrior in the time you've been asleep."

"Huh. A little fox-heart like you? Emeraldstar must have gone mad in that time, making flea-ridden filth like you a Warrior."

"Stop it! Both of you!" It was Dreampaw, his fur bristling, Vinepaw right beside him. "Nettlepaw, he's my brother, and Spikepelt, she's my friend."

"Alright, alright!" Spikepaw smirked, stalking off. "Dream_gaze_."

"I am so sorry," Dreamgaze whispered to Nettlepaw, trotting after his brother. "I had to."

"What are you, then?" Nettlepaw asked her sister sarcastically. "Vinetail? Vineleaf? Oh, I know, Vinethorn. I bet you were _so_ glad to leave your traitor sister behind."

"No," the gray she-cat replied.

"Well that's just _wonderful_, that's… Wait, did you say 'no'?"

She nodded.

"So that means you're-"

"Still an apprentice," Vinepaw finished. "Still Vinepaw."

"But… why?"

Vinepaw smiled and leaned forward.

"Because we're family. Now! Let's get some rest. Tomorrow's a big, big day."

"What happens tomorrow?"

Vinepaw slumped forward, panting, then suddenly rose. Her eyes opened. Once dark blue, they were now bright yellow.

"_Tomorrow begins the Nettle's path."_

Nettlepaw gasped, Vinepaw's eyes rolled into the back of her head and both she-cats collapsed.

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><p><strong>Subtle references… Well, thanks a bunch! Adios, see ya, and whatever else I can't remember! Next chapter coming soon. Final comment: I'm pretty sure no situation where a cat was prevented from becoming a warrior ever came up in the main books. Someone please let me know if it happened in a Super Edition and give me the actual ceremony. Anyone can use the de-warrioring ceremony, just credit me. 'Nuff said! See you soon!<strong>


	13. Chapter 12

**I have no way to apologize for my absence, so… I'm sorry… I'm just going to write now… Also, thank you, all of you. ;^; You're all so wonderful, everyone!**

* * *

><p>Nettlepaw, for the second time that day, woke up in the Medicine cat's den. She scratched her head with her black left forepaw and rose shakily. To her right side, Vinepaw was coming to as well. Seeing neither Redpaw nor Poolripple, they left.<p>

Although it had been sunrise at the time of Emeraldstar's announcement, the sun was now nearly directly overhead.

Mushroomfoot padded over to the two littermates.

"Alright, you two. Your rest's over. Right now, EarthClan has only two apprentices: you two. I don't know what Emeraldstar was thinking by appointing everycat a warrior."

"Well, they were pretty good in the battles with the rouges," Vinepaw pointed out.

Mushroomfoot shook her head.

"Still, it's all too sudden."

Nettlepaw nodded in agreement, sighing slightly as Mushroomfoot led the two apprentices out of camp.

"So, where are we going?" asked Vinepaw enthusiastically.

"Battle training."

Nettlepaw smiled as Vinepaw, grinning, sprinted out of the tunnel.

"Last one to the clearing is a pile of crow-food!"

"Yaargh!"

Nettlepaw sprinted after her sister, laughing.

"Hey! Slow down!" Mushroomfoot meowed, amused.

The three cats slowed down to a trot when they reached the tiny clearing.

Mushroomfoot stopped, staring at the empty space. A leaf blew across the grassy "floor".

"This can't be right," she muttered. "I'm going back to camp; the cat we're training with today isn't here. Stay here."

She vanished into the trees.

Silence…

Silence…

Nettlepaw and Vinepaw looked at each other.

"Yaargh!"

Nettlepaw leapt on top of Vinepaw, play-fighting the way they did as kits. Vinepaw laughed, shoving Nettlepaw off of her and giving her a playful swipe to the right ear.

"Thank you," Nettlepaw blurted out suddenly, sitting up straight. "About last night."

Vinepaw swatted at her sister with her tail, hitting the young apprentice square between her shoulders.

"I'm not the only one whom you should be thanking. Smalltwig asked Emeraldstar not to do anything rash. I don't know if this is quite what she planned, but…"

Nettlepaw smiled.

"And she was huddled in the Warriors den the entire demotion ceremony. She was worried sick.

"And Dreampa… Dreamgaze was worried as well. We were all worried."

Nettlepaw smiled again.

"We all love you, a lot."

Nettlepaw laughed.

"Thanks, Vinepaw."

"I'm back; you can get off of your lazy tails, you mouse-brains," a harsh voice mewed from behind.

Nettlepaw's smile drooped. Spikepelt!? Seriously!? She turned to face him.

The tom was trotting towards them, a smug look on his face (no surprise there). His eyes glinted and, as usual, his fur had all the organization of a disgruntled porcupine.

"Hello, apprentices," he purred, the arrogantly courteous tone thinly veiling the insult.

Nettlepaw's fur rose, but Vinepaw just sighed, leaning close to Nettlepaw.

"You know, I expected a _warrior_. I guess they were running short and sent us a kit."

Despite herself, Nettlepaw cracked another smile.

"You certainly have a way with insults, sister dear."

"Why thank you, darling!"

"Hey! Sit up straight and stop giggling!"

Mushroomfoot was glaring at them, her zero-tolerance for slackers getting the better of her.

"Today, we'll be doing some special training exercises together."

Mushroomfoot was now patrolling in front of the two littermates. Spikepelt sat behind her, sheathing and unsheathing his claws disinterestedly.

"There have been a number of raids by a shady group of cats who identify themselves as "ShadeClan". Therefore, Emeraldstar has decided that it is best to teach everyone some group exercises. Nettlepaw, you are on my team. Vinepaw and Spikepaw are on a team together. The team that wins gets bragging rights, any questions?"

"Do I have to be on-"

"Yes, you have to be on their team. Nettlepaw, come over here."

Nettlepaw bounded over to her mentor's side. A chance to kick Spikepelt's sorry little tail? Interesting…

Vinepaw padded over to Spikepelt and sat down next to him. She flashed Nettlepaw her patented _"Let's do this"_ smile.

"Begin!"

The Spike-Vine team burst into action, Spikepelt charging ahead, Vinepaw darting across to Mushroom-Nettle's left side. Nettlepaw barely avoided a blow to her shoulder. She flinched as Spikepelt barreled towards her. Mushroomfoot jumped, pushing the young warrior to the ground. This left Vinepaw to Nettlepaw. The two sisters showed each other no mercy.

Nettlepaw rushed her sister, who ducked, slamming her paw into Nettlepaw's chest.

"Gluh!"

Nettlepaw gasped, swearing under her breath: _"Fox-dung!"_

She jumped, letting her full weight fall on the small she-cat, whose eyes widened as Nettlepaw collided with her.

"We win!"

Mushroomfoot had been waiting patiently by Spikepelt, whose fur was bristling even further. Nettlepaw observed the smile on her face, a rare event.

"Come on, let's get back to camp."

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><p>Nettlepaw was smiling, not a care in the world as they headed back to camp. Then, a cat burst through the bushes next to the path.<p>

At first, Nettlepaw was happy to see Dreamgaze. Then she notices the missing fur, torn ear, and blood.

"CatsarefightingatcampandIthinkit'sShadeClanandEme raldstaraskedmetogetyouguysandI'mreallytiredandsle epyrightnowsoithinkthatI'mgonna…."

He passed out cold in a bloody heap, his chest rising and slowly falling.

"Dreamgaze!"

Spikepelt was enraged.

"Those little snake-hearts…"

He charged forward, dashing towards the camp, leaving Nettlepaw, Vinepaw, and Mushroomfoot to catch up.


	14. Chapter 13

_**._.**_

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><p>Brutal. Simply brutal. That would be the only way to describe the raid. Nettlepaw gazed out at the yowling cats. What was this? Her third battle? Her second?<p>

She had fought against these cats before, but that was different. That had been for the sake of other cats, other families, other lives. Now, she saw cats she had grown up with stained in their own blood. Blood. Just like Blazingheart.

Nettlepaw shook her head. No time for that. Guilt wouldn't help now.

Vinepaw trembled beside her. Vinepaw was a talented and intelligent fighter, but the poor cat never liked battles, even minor border scrimmages. Too much pressure, she guessed. Nettlepaw brushed her tail across her sister's shoulder. She knew the feeling.

"Come on, Mushroomfoot and Spikepelt are already fighting."

Vinepaw nodded in agreement.

"Maybe Emeraldstar will let you be a warrior if you fight well today. He's not a bad cat."

Suddenly motivated, the littermates rushed in opposite dirsctions, leaping into the fray.

Immediately, something flew onto Nettlepaw, pinning her to the ground.

"Hello," the she-cat purred, gazing at Nettlepaw with cold amber eyes.

It was the white cat from the DawnClan battle. Fox-dung. Utter fox-dung.

The she-cat stepped onto Nettlepaw's throat.

"Don't worry, I won't kill you right now… maybe."

The white cat's eyes glimmered with glee. She unsheathed a single claw of her free paw.

"Vine…ugh."

Vinepaw was busy with an opponent of her own.

Two.

Smalltwig was with Emeraldstar, battling off a large white tom.

Three.

She was going to die.

Four.

A force slammed into the cat, knocking her off of Nettlepaw.

"Ah! Vinepaw, you-….oh…"

Instead of Vinepaw, Spikepelt stood above the white cat, less than a whisker away from the back of her neck.

"Ignorant little brick… do you have any idea who you're up against? I'm Whiteclaw, the-"

Spikepelt sank his teeth into the back of her neck. She stopped talking.

As Spikepelt passed Nettlepaw, her eyes didn't move from the fallen cat. Another corpse. Great. Simply marvelous.

Vinepaw left her opponent and dashed towards her sister, obviously upset. Nettlepaw smiled weakly, trying to comfort her. Unfortunately, the tom she had been fighting crashed into Vinepaw's back.

"Hey!"

Grimacing like she _really_ didn't want to do this, Vinepaw unsheathed her claws and jumped, clawing at the tom's already thoroughly scarred face. He responded by yowling and stepping backwards into a large tom: Dragonclaw, who growled and slashed at the ShadeClan cat's ear.

"I got this," he said reassuringly. "Go to the Nursery. The kits need all of the protection they can get."

He was right. Three cats, the two queens and Smalltwig, were trying to fight off two very determined ShadeClan cats.

"Don't worry," Nettlepaw whispered to Vinepaw, who nodded, trying to adopt a focused, determined expression. The end result was a lopsided combination of a grimace and a sneer.

One of the cats attacking the Nursery turned, and Nettlepaw's fur bristled. Stoneheart. That snake-hearted little…

A few seconds later, Nettlepaw was on top of Stoneheart, digging her claws into the cat's back. Stoneheart yowled and fell on her back, effectively cutting off air to Nettlepaw. She choked, unable to breathe.

Her eyes narrowed in fear and her ears went back.

_Please, StarClan, don't let me die. I'm far too wonderful to die!_

StarClan apparently was not impressed, because the blasted she-cat was still writhing around, crushing the last bits of air out of her. Nettlepaw dug her claws in deeper and scratched Stoneheart in the back in a last-ditch attempt to free herself. Surprisingly, this worked. The weight lifted, leaving Nettlepaw to desperately gasp for air. Seeing that Vinepaw was beating back Stoneheart with the help of Mistywave, Nettlepaw let her eyes close and passed out in the middle of the bloody clearing.

* * *

><p>Nettlepaw, surprisingly, woke up quite quickly. The sun had not yet set, but it was on its way. Sitting up, Nettlepaw realized that somecat must have dragged her into the medicine's cat den, because she was surrounded by injured cats. She stood up shakily and stumbled outside.<p>

The camp was a horrible mess. Patches of blood and fur speckled the sandy ground, and the leader's den was half collapsed. One of the vine-covered branches comprising the elders' den had been clawed at, ripping the ivy apart.

Nettlepaw walked around, still stunned. She asked around, wondering what had happened while she was asleep. After a couple of half-hearted conversations, she learned this: they had killed two enemy cats. Batstorm had been killed. Vinepaw was okay. Emeraldstar had lost a life and Specklering had lost an ear.

Nettlepaw trudged over to the apprentice den and collapsed under a bush. Vinepaw emerged from Emeraldstar's den and looked around, confused. She noticed Nettlepaw and her face lit up.

She ran up to greet her sister, tail in the air. Nettlepaw winced as she noticed the new tear in Vinepaw's ear. It wasn't terribly large, but Nettlepaw didn't like anycat hurting her littermate.

Vinepaw didn't seem to notice, or didn't want to make a big deal out of it, because she headbutted Nettlepaw playfully and sat down.

"So, Nettlepaw, you alright?"

"Yeah, fine. What happened to you?"

"Oh, the ear? Right after you passed out, Mushroomfoot ran over and covered me so that I could drag you out of the way. I got you into the medicine cat den. There was a branch that fell from one of the trees, and I had to drag you through it, and… one of the twigs was… very jagged."

"Wait… what? A whole battle, and you got your ear cut on a _branch?_ Your, what, sixth, battle and your one visible scar is from a _branch?_"

"You have definitely got that right!"

"You're unbelievable."

Vinepaw purred. Out of nowhere, she stiffened and stopped, seeming to droop.

"Oh, yeah, I forgot to tell you, Batstorm…"

Nettlepaw nodded, her gaze drifting off into the distance.

"He died after losing blood, right?"

"Yeah… Smalltwig…?"

"She's heartbroaken. Her only littermate…"

"I'll miss him."

"I-I will, too."

They were silent for a moment.

Nettlepaw's gaze snapped back to Vinepaw's face.

"Vinepaw, you are not allowed to get killed. Or die of sickness. No dying. Ever."

"Fine, mother."

They both laughed, but the moment of humor passed quickly and they were once again left in silence with the camp in ruins around them.


End file.
